Pages

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Have you ever wondered why sometimes no matter how hard you yearn for something, things just don’t seem to fall into their right places? And when it does, that’s when we lose focus and in worse case scenario, we would sometimes quit. Are you able to relate to what I’m saying? If yes, then you should do a vision board. Yes, a VISION BOARD.

Statement stickers which you can attach on your vision boards.

Positivity stickers with sayings...

I’ve been invited to try and do my own vision board by Mr. Tristan Mirasol. It was a Sunday activity and I had been looking forward to it since I needed something like vision boards to propel myself back on track. It works just like a scrapbook making since you’ll be required to cut photos from the magazines and visualize your goals through it. Then, you must put the STATEMENT STICKERS provided in the vision board kit and assess your own self. It could really help one in achieving his or her goals. It’s all positive statements so you get more inspired.

The positivity stickers

Here we were first introduced to the concept of vision boarding.

Vision Boarding is a feel-good activity. It felt similar to writing on one’s journal, baring your soul, expressing yourself in a much different way. You pumped up your creative juices as well as adrenaline rush for the excitement to see its finish product. But what is more important will be how effective this vision boarding will be for you on helping you achieve whatever goal it is that you may have.

My good friend Ate Milette says that she is inspired by life itself as seen in her vision board.

Vision boarding is fun to do, look at one participant who laughs on this photo.

So if you’re like up for the challenge (because you could actually put some time-frame into your goals), try your hand in vision boarding. I truly enjoyed making mine…I try to see it everyday because I would want to attract positive mantras and energies so that it would be easier for me to attain my goals.

A participant shares her vision board.

My vision board speaks of my future plans and goals.

Here's my own vision board.

Interested to get your own vision board? Visit www.spreadthepositivity.com or call +63 (2) 964-1890/ +63 (917) 842-9710 for more information.

xoxo,

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Hey guys! SM Mall of Asia as well as SM in Muntinlupa, SM Cebu, SM Taytay, SM City Lipa and SM Rosales will be having a 3-day sale! Woot! Woot! Grab this rare chance to indulge in a shopping spree as these SM malls give up to 70% off on selected items from participating stores. Not only that, you'll also get the chance to win amazing prizes in the raffle. Lucky shopper from the SM Mall of Asia will get to win one brand new car while SM Cebu, Taytay, Rosales, Lipa and Muntinlupa will have their own 3 day sale and will also raffle off cool HP Laptops.

March 30 - 9am-12MN

March 31 - 10am - 12MN

April 1 - 10am – 12MN

2012 FIRST HALF- 3- DAY SALE

RAFFLE MECHANICS:

1. Every P500 single or accumulated purchase, within the promo period, from SM Department Store, SM Supermarket/Hypermarket or from any participating mall establishment entitles shopper to one (1) raffle coupon.

SM Foodcourt

Customer gets one (1) raffle coupon with every P150 single purchase receipt.

SM Cinema

Customer gets one (1) raffle coupon with every single purchase of four (4) cinema tickets.

Amusement Centers

Customer gets one (1) raffle coupon with every P150 worth of tokens.

2. Shoppers may also avail of additional raffle coupons through the Global Pinoy Card:

Global Pinoy members may present their Global Pinoy cards, along with a minimum P500 worth of single or accumulated purchases from mall establishments, to avail one (1) additional coupon.

3. To claim the raffle coupons, customer must present proof of purchase at the designated redemption center/s in the mall any time during mall hours within the 3-day sale promo period.

4. Customer will have to fill-in his/her complete name, address, contact number and affix signature on the raffle stub, and drop the raffle entries at the designated drop boxes inside the mall where purchase was made.

5. Prizes at stake:

Three (3) winners of HP 430 NOTEBOOK PC (One per winner)

6. Raffle draw will be on (insert date of raffle draw) / (insert time of raffle draw) at the (insert location of raffle draw). Deadline for submission of entries is on (insert cut-off time of raffle draw)/(insert time of raffle draw). Draw will be witnessed by a DTI representative. Winners will be notified by registered mail. The list of winners will be posted in the designated areas in the mall. - "PLS read the official and complete mechanics at the mall"

10. Unclaimed prizes after 60 days of notification will be reported to DTI and upon approval by DTI shall be forfeited in favor of Shopping Center Management Corporation.

11. The promo organizer’s decision is final in concurrence of DTI.

12. Shopping Center Management Corporation, its affiliates, ad agencies, mall tenants, their respective officers and employees and their relatives up to second degree of consanguinity or affinity are not qualified to join the promo

Thursday, March 15, 2012

My Mom Rica and I recently attended Nestle Zumba Fitness sessions held at the fourth level of Trinoma Mall. It was a day filled with energy as enthusiastic participants gamely danced and perspire to the beat of the fast music. It felt like we were in a huge disco as the strobe lights beamed upon us as we try to imitate the Zumba leader during the second session of Nestle Fitness Zumba trial.

This Zumba session is part of promotion for the Nestle Fitnesse Shape Up Night to be held at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on March 31, 2012 at 8PM. Win 6 months of Free Unlimited Fitness First Membership and 6 months of Free Nestle Fit and Right in the raffle draws during the said event.

This is the booth where one can register for the Zumba Night.

It was fun, although somewhat difficult for people like me who aren't really into anything physically taxing, but I welcomed it. It's good for my heart although I had to catch my breath every now and then. But it's really fun, I would definitely recommend it to friends. Give it a try and you'll feel good about yourself. Just don't forget to bring a bottle of water to rehydrate once in a while.

Join Nestle Finesse Shape Up Night this March 31, 2012 at the NBC Tent. Hope to see you there! Who knows, you might even win in the raffle because they'll be raffling off 16 winners. Visit Nestle Fitnesse in Facebook for more details.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

I felt some sense of elation when I was invited recently to attend Ms. Jenni Epperson’s book signing held at The Block, SM North Edsa with her book called “Fashion + Food Entertaining at Home". Whoa, after all this was the same lady I used to stare at from afar at the corner of my desk when I had a short stint at the editorial department of ABS-CBN Publishing office some years back. It was during the time when she was still connected with Chalk Magazine. I could vividly recall how I used to be in awe as I couldn’t help but stare at her in admiration when Ms. Epperson would walk my way. She’s such a picture of elegance, fashion and confidence. Too bad, I never had the chance to speak a word with her back then.

National Bookstore sold Ms. Jenni Epperson's book during the book signing day.

By this time you must have understood my feelings upon receiving an email inviting me to attend her book signing. The first thing you’ll notice with Ms. Epperson was her lithe body frame and her genuine smile. She was one of the warmest people I’ve ever met. She doesn’t even mind talking for hours, she says she could go on and talk forever. And when she talks to you, it’s as if you’ve known each other for years.

Ms. Jenni Epperson proudly shows off her book Fashion + Food Entertaining at Home in Style

During the said book signing, Jenni Epperson reveals her three basic mantras in life: Balancing Life and Fashion, she says these are the stuff that grounds her. She shares: “At the end of the day, I’m still a mom and a wife—family is still my top priority, it is very important to me. So Sunday is like a sacred day for us, it is reserved for my family.”

“Enjoying life is about living a life in style. Making your dream a reality every single day is making every moment count. This had been my secret to a youthful look. My book is about living in the Now, on how to live your life fully,” she adds.

She explains, “I created this book to empower you guys to change your life by simply changing some habits and lifestyle. I do hope you get a copy of my book, it’s really helpful and I’m very proud of this. I worked on this for fifteen months. Inside my book are some of my plate collections, some amazing recipes like Pork Medallion in Peppercorn sauce, it’s really very easy to do but it looks so impressive. My book will help you to learn about minimum effort, maximum impact. You don’t need to become a top chef to make your family dinner happy by creating something special for them.”

The crowd at The Block, SM North Edsa, awaiting Ms. Jenni Epperson's arrival.

During the said event, I was also surprised to know that Ms. Epperson is a very domesticated person. She likes porcelain collection of plates. “My dream is to have two walking closet, one for my clothes and another for my collection of plates.”

Ms. Jenni Epperson explains what her book was all about.

She even shared a few personal things about her. “I never knew I’d be destined to work with celebrities,” she quips. She was a young lass who hailed from San Pedro, Laguna. “I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know celebrity or fashion editors. But my work and my passion led me to these people. And I knew my being a fashion stylist also led me in creating this book so that I can share my knowledge with everyone.” Before she knew it, her natural knack for fashion had jump-started her career.

For someone who had been into blogging for the past 7 years, she says she started out blogging to confront her fear of technology. She’s a traditional writer in newspapers and magazine. And since sharing information is among her many passions, she enjoyed it and vowed to create and write a book one day. “In this life, you’ve got to try a lot of things to know what you really want. Inspiration comes from everyday life. Writing a book had always been part of her bucket list. Then, came my Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards Winner for Best Lifestyle Blog. That really was some sort of achievement for me—it’s the red carpet for bloggers.”

Blogger Janese Binaobao-Halaboso asks Ms. Epperson during the Q and A portion.

Ms. Epperson even shared a funny experience when she went to Malaysia for the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards.

Jenni Epperson’s Fashion + Food Entertaining at Home in Style is a companion type of book. An inspiring book where one could see the heart and soul of the author. Ms. Epperson shares her thirst for knowledge among her readers. She wants to help turn the negative into optimism. Good vibes + good info = happy life.

Ms. Jenni shows off her fashionably fab shoes.

Ms. Epperson’s book is all worth it as it is packed with information that bounds to inspire people. “It’s not a picture book.” It is a manual on how to live in style. A feel-good book where the message sharing is caring = how to raise the bar for yourself.

Lastly, Ms. Epperson advises the audience to: “Be supportive of your kids. It gives them confidence to be who they are. Keep them empowered, stop being a dictator. Teach them tools to become good individuals. Spend time with them and live by example.”

A true fan of Ms. Jenni this young lady gamely pose before my camera.

In the future, Ms. Epperson wants to have her own fashion line so that she could help a whole lot of people in flattering fashion finds and gaining confidence. But now, I'm telling you that you won't go wrong with the "little black dress," every girl must have one.

Ms. Jenni Epperson is truly a fashion icon.

Here Ms. Epperson gamely chats her adoring fans like they've known each other for years.

Ms. Epperson autographs one of the books with her fan.

Iwent home that night happy, as I’ve absorbed all the positivity of Ms. Epperson and in knowing that she could be just as regular as me, and with her down-to-earth disposition and friendly demeanor, these reasons made me admire her even more!

Go and grab Ms. Jenni Epperson’s Fashion + Food Entertaining at Home in Style at all the leading bookstores nationwide.

Are you guys ready for summer? Before heading out to the beach, Thermos Philippines even made our summer extra special. How do winning loads of IPAD2 sounds to you? So are you motivated now? Read on to know how to join Thermos Philippines’ latest contest making our summer more fun! Joining is so easy....

A genuine Thermos brand item should be visible in the photo entry. Entries using generic/non-Thermos branded food and beverage containers will be disqualified. For more information about the genuine Thermos brand, participants can inquire at thermos[at]collins-international[dot]com[dot]ph, (02) 684 6160 or (02) 646 2867.
Winners will be chosen based on:

a. UNIQUENESS (40%). The exceptionality of the photo entry that corresponds to the theme.

b. WITTINESS (40%). Caption and picture must be catchy, creative, witty and appropriate to the photo and theme. Caption must not exceed 140 characters.

c. VISIBILITY OF THERMOS PRODUCT (10%). The Thermos product must be clearly visible and identifiable.

Monday, March 12, 2012

One could call it our lucky day, selected bloggers were invited to a Uratex Plant Tour in their Alabang, Muntinlupa. When bloggers were informed about the said trip, everyone became really excited. So when the day finally came, as always I had been the earliest one to arrive at the pickup point where the service coaster will bring us to the Uratex Factory.

The process starts with the use of this paper.

It felt like we were children embarking on a field trip in a huge mattress factory. We were all pretty much eager to see what’s inside the factory and how the famous Filipino brand makes its Philippine-made foams. One could easily feel the adrenaline rush in everyone.

Mr. Dindo Medina of Uratex welcomes the bloggers to their plant.

After a few briefing upon arrival, we were divided into two batches. As we toured the facility, I couldn’t help but be impressed. It’s spic and span, and in every corner you’ll see that it does have a strict high standard in both their quality product and discipline among its employees. No wonder it had amazing ISO standards of approval, not only in the Philippines but also it had passed international standards as well.

Uratex foams actually starts from a blue creamy liquid as shown here.

The Uratex employees had to follow a strict standard for quality control.

To be honest, prior to the said plant tour, I had no idea how Uratex foams are made. All I knew was that I sleep on its soft comfy foam each night. Little did I know how high-tech foam making is now until this tour. Foam making in the past had been difficult but Multiflex RNC Philippines of the RGC Foam Group, makers of the well-known Uratex foam, introduced and revolutionized foam making in the country and in South East Asia. They installed and make use of new foaming equipment called “Hennecke.” This German-manufactured equipment is the best in the world.

The machine is controlled by a Uratex employee at all times to ensure quality.

Backed by comprehensive research and development laboratory testing’s, Uratex was able to master the perfect formulations resulting to certain types of foams and they regularly conduct tests to ensure that the formulation meet the final product specifications. The foam passes through five different stages in order to produce high quality foams. From the research and development laboratory tests, to foaming process where formulation is finalized as it goes to 26 streams of different chemicals in a computer controlled metering pumps for precision. This high-tech machinery that creates a liquid into solid foam block and passes through the machine is complimented by a quality management system and ran by highly trained personnel. Then it goes through the curing area where 30-meter long blocks of foam are picked up by an overhead crane and transferred to a curing area. Foam undergoes an exothermic reaction where the center may reach up to 145-165 degrees Celsius within 20 to 30 minutes. The foam is eventually brought to the storage area where the production area where the block will be cut according to the desired sizes. And finally, the foam blocks are then cut into the customer’s requested size and “contoured” based on the type of product to be produced, be it a pillow, a mattress, or a car seat foam. Once cut and contoured, the product goes straight to packaging under strict quality standards, ready for delivery to the customer.

The liquid then becomes flattened.

Voila! It turns into wet foam.

Processed in a huge machine...

Here you can see the Uratex foam being brought to the processing area.

See that huge crane that transfers the foam into another area?

Blogger Rain De Ocampo poses outside the Cooling Room.

Through the years, Uratex has significantly developed and had become responsive to the demands of its consumers, branching out to furniture, bedding, footwear, garment and automotive industries. This led them to manufacture coil and unit spring, flat woven and velvet fabrics for furniture upholstery. They had also innovated the use of fire-retardant foams, reticulated outdoor foam and fabric, memory foam, anti-bacterial and other specialized foams.

Bloggers seemed tired from all the tour but happy.

I personally liked that Uratex also had this high-tech machine that’s built to help you find the perfect bed mattress for you based on the pressure of your body. It helps to choose which mattress will you sleep more comfortably. My fellow bloggers beauty blogger Bec San Diego and advocacy blogger Ia Adam-Lim both tried the said machine.

The high-tech machine that tells you what type of bed is perfect for you.

This machine tells where your body's pressure is more focused on.

I was also surprised to learn that it is Uratex that is behind the microwavable containers brand Ready Wrap. Made from virgin plastic resin, these are high-quality packaging and multifunction disposable containers for home, business and travel use. Smartly designed, safe and hygienic, these products are perfect for storing, organizing, reheating, and serving food. These items are non-toxic, CFC-free and environment friendly. They’re very economical and helpful especially for Moms like us, great for our kids’ baon, picnics, and portable containers for every knick-knack there is.

A Uratex Ready Wrap factory worker inspects the products.

From white virgin plastic resin, these Ready Wraps are made.

Raw Virgin plastic resin

Ready Wrap microwaveable plastic are available in most stores like SM.

Uratex also has monoblock chairs. These items are ergonomic, functional and stylish tables and chairs that are durable and versatile. I remember I bought Kyle his first set of study table and chairs from Uratex with cool child-friendly designs including Spongebob Squarepants, Disney Princess’, Cars, Toy Story Characters like Woody and Buzz among many others.

Therapoint pillows by Uratex

Foam animal cutouts

Cute cutouts of foam

Visit any Uratex Showroom near you and see for yourselves why it had become a household word for everyone and why it’s been a trusted name that had been synonymous to foam in the Philippines. Check out their latest designs and new products. I bet you won’t get out of their showroom empty-handed. There will always be something you’ll love to purchase.

For more information, Multiflex RNC Philippines Inc. is located at Km.23 east Service Road, South Superhighway, Bo. Cupang, Muntinlupa City.

842-6326 to 27, 8500-0784-91 or call the consumer Uratex hotline at 888-6800